12/12/2011

Clemson University just announced the release of the latest version of m.Clemson, the University’s official mobile app.

The latest version—m.Clemson 2.0—includes new modules developed wholly from student requests and recommendations, including:

Places – Find computer labs, residence halls, and places to eat on campus. (Clemson students told us they most appreciate the 'dining' feature as it saves them time when trying to decide where to eat!)

Directory – Find people at Clemson, add them to your contacts, send an email, or call them right from your phone.

The release of m.Clemson 2.0 went hand-in-hand with a full marketing campaign: table tents were placed in all dining halls and food courts, door hangers were hung in all campus dorms and apartments, posters were placed at the entrances of all dining halls and food courts, and an email was sent to the entire student body.

More than 12,000 people have already downloaded the iOS version of the app since its launch in September 2010. m.Clemson is also available for Android, BlackBerry and all other web-enabled devices through the mobile web at m.clemson.edu.

The Mobile Innovation Award for Teaching and Learning: for Blackboard Mobile Learn clients that have formalized, implemented, and measured the impact of Mobile Learning at their institution

The Mobile Innovation Award for Campus Services: for Blackboard Mobile Central clients that have utilized the Blackboard Mobile Central SDK or Mobile Technical Services to provide a unique campus service via the mobile platform

Additional award descriptions, evaluation criteria, and the nomination forms can be found here. You can also “Like” the Blackboard Catalyst Awards page on Facebook for news, updates, and inspiration from previous Catalyst Award winners.

12/02/2011

Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) has been hard at work promoting their app, Tri-C Mobile, which launched just before fall semester. Tri-C mobile provides students on the go access to essential college life information and services like campus maps, Blackboard courses, financial aid information, and campus news.

“Our students differ from traditional four-year college students in that many our students leave the campus each day and go on to work a job or two in addition to many having family responsibilities, whereas the four-year students generally don’t have those obligations,” said Jerry Hourigan, VP and CIO at Tri-C. “The best thing we can do is make it as easy as possible for our students to be able to stay connected to the college, even during the hours they’re doing something else.” Hourigan goes on to add “Our job is to provide the tools and resources to ensure our students are successful and have a positive educational experience during their time here at Tri-C and Tri-C Mobile is one more way to show that commitment."

11/30/2011

We are very excited to announce that Edison Township Public Schools' mobile app, My Edison, is now available to download in the Apple App Store!

As the first K-12 school district in the U.S. to go live with Blackboard Mobile Central, Edison Township Public Schools is changing the way schools in the district engage with parents and the Edison community. With more than 15,000 students across 17 schools in New Jersey, the district has a diverse demographic of students and families that My Edison will help to better serve.

11/29/2011

Blackboard wants to hear your voice! The BbWorld and DevCon 2012 call for presentations is now open and will remain open until January 20. We would love to hear your story at this year’s Developers Conference July 9-10 and BbWorld July 10-12 in New Orleans, LA.

Why should you present? Blackboard user conferences are a great way to share best practices with peers, influence and enhance teaching and learning at other institutions, and shape eLearning around the world. We are looking for experts to lead by example and connect with the education community.

Consider the things that matter to you the most in your role and consider sharing your solutions with your peers. Need some ideas? How about:

11/28/2011

Blackboard Mobile has successfully entered the German higher education market with the launch of RUB Mobile, a Blackboard app developed specifically for Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB). With approximately 34,000 students total, RUB is not only one of Germany’s largest universities, but also one of Germany’s strongest research universities that have made it to the final round of Germany’s Excellence Initiative in 2007 and 2011.

The RUB Mobile app will officially be launched during the RUB Mobile Day taking place on campus on 22 November 2011, an event organized by RUB intended to introduce the RUB Mobile app to students and staff. RUB came up with a number of promotional activitiesfor the launch. The RUB app will be promoted by means of promotional teams awaiting students and staff at the main entrances of subway and bus stations leading to the campus, easily recognizable by their red RUB Mobile t-shirts with the QR-code for the official RUB Mobile website printed on them. Posters, tabletents, postcards, press releases and radio interviews, tweets, Blackboard giveaways and a Facebook fanpage are a part of the promotional activities. In addition, Blackboard and the Ruhr-Universität Bochum are jointly organizing a contest among RUB students and staff in which contestants are challenged to unleash their creativity. It is an ideas competition in which contestants have to demonstrate how RUB Mobile supports teaching and learning, anytime anywhere. Contest submissions will be in the form of a video/animation, design/illustration, or photo. The judges, consisting of both Blackboard and RUB representatives, will award the top three submissions with great prizes.

11/21/2011

It is no secret that smart mobile devices have fundamentally changed the way students go about their daily lives. The days of phone calls and standing in line at the bank are long gone; now students are texting their friends, updating their Facebook status, and paying their bills whenever and wherever they want to via their smartphones. When it comes to academic life, mobile access to courses has also begun to transform when, where, and how students learn.

Just how large of an impact can mobile learning have on the student experience? We’re looking for innovative teachers, instructional designers, and other members of the academic community to help us find out! We’ve seen some amazing qualitative reports about mobile learning’s impact on teaching and learning (and you can see them too on our new Mobile case studies page). Our new goal is to quantify the effects of Blackboard Mobile Learn on student engagement and achievement- and we know we are not alone.

If your school has Blackboard Mobile Learn and you are interested in measuring its impact on your students, we may be able to help you! Tell us about your mission here to get started: http://mobile.blackboard.com/casestudy2012

11/09/2011

The Northern Arizona University app just made its debut in the Apple App Store and Android Market. The app features a movable classroom via Blackboard Learn for students and faculty to access course information. It keeps users connected with the latest news from Inside NAU, Alumni Relations and NAU Athletics. It offers YouTube videos and campus photos, a university directory and a calendar of upcoming eve nts. It also features an interactive map of the Flagstaff campus and real-time tracking of Mountain Link and on-campus bus services. Admissions and Dining modules will be added in the next few weeks and regular updates will continue to enhance the app’s features.

Congrats to the team at NAU, and make sure to check out their fabulous, spirited commercial, highlighting just a few of the NAU Mobile app's many features and benefits.

11/02/2011

There has been a lot of talk surrounding the newfound concept of the "App Gap" among children between the ages of zero and eight. Common Sense Media released a study titled Zero to Eight: Children's Media Use in America, uncovering that affluent children have a much higher level of exposure to mobile devices and the educational content that they provide – creating a knowledge gap among young students.

10/26/2011

Over 1,100 schools around the world are utilizing a Blackboard Mobile Solution. Four-year private colleges, state universities, community college districts and K-12 districts are all finding that mobile is a necessity to reinforce their brand as well as attract and retain students. See why and how Jacksonville State University, St. Hilda's School, South Orange County Community College District, Loyola Marymount University, University of Rochester, and Central Washington University all decided to go mobile with Blackboard.

And, a blogger from TMCNet who previously used Blackboard Learn on campus writes about how she wishes she had been able to access her courses and campus resources from her mobile phone.

10/25/2011

Last week’s EDUCAUSE was jam packed with sessions, news, and even a little roof raising at the Blackboard Client Appreciation Party.

One of the most talked about announcements was the release of the 2011 Campus Computing Survey . Each year the Campus Computing Project publishes the results of the largest, continuing e-learning study that focuses on technology and computing in American higher education.

10/17/2011

Our very own Aaron Wasserman had the opportunity to "talk mobile" with Rod Murray, the Executive Director of Academic Technology at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and a recognized expert and advocate of e-learning technologies. In this interview, Rod and Aaron discuss a variety of questions about Blackboard Mobile including: how going mobile can benefit institutions, native applications vs. mobile web solutions, and what the future holds for Blackboard Mobile.

09/13/2011

Hannah Whaley is an Assistant Director in the University of Dundee's Library and Learning Centre, with responsibility for Research and Systems. Hannah had previously established herself in the field of e-learning, winning the UK Learning Technologist of the Year in 2007. Her work is currently focused on improving access to academic resources, enhancing research support and provision, and planning system integrations. She also likes fast cars.

It is the start of academic year 2011/12 and we are already beginning to welcome new freshers on campus - with the usual sense of anticipation and mild exhaustion that staff from all institutions will empathise with. This year's intake of students will include a majority that have come straight from school, and as such are part of a generation that have grown up with the internet, Facebook, reality TV and digital music. They have never lived in a world in which The Simpsons did not exist - in fact, none of our school leavers over the last 4 years have.

08/11/2011

With the 2011-2012 school year fast approaching, school spirit is on the rise, as are the number of videos made by our clients to promote their mobile apps. Here are some of favorites. Check 'em out, download their apps, and be prepared for anything that comes your way this school year.